新製品
New Product
High-speed signal connector using newly-developed eco-friendly materials
[Overview and Design Intentions]
Recently, with increased social awareness brought about by environmental issues, approaches seriously implementing SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are in great demand. Of particular concern among such social demands are eco-friendly materials which are plant-derived. This is to reduce the consumption of petroleum derived resin materials. Such products are already in use for everyday items such as spoons, straws, and also shopping bags, and lately even vehicle interior/exterior as well as the housings of domestic appliances. However, these particular eco-friendly materials are generally still given less consideration for use as actual electronic components. Hosiden has therefore started pursuing the use of these materials in high-speed connectors, an important electronic component.
While researching the above-mentioned eco-friendly materials, we identified the suitability of “XecoT”, a product of Unitika Ltd, a semi-aromatic nylon resin (PA10T) made of castor oil harvested from caster beans. As “XecoT” is highly heat-resistant and moderately hydrophobic, it already satisfies the basic requirements for resin-based connectors. However, because “XecoT” still needs improvement in two critical physical properties to make it suitable for applications in high-speed signal connectors, dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent, Hosiden and Unitika have been working together, sharing knowledge and insight with each other to jointly develop a customized “XecoT” material, one which is more suitable for high-speed signal connectors.
Of our newly developed materials, Hosiden’s jointly developed Customized “XecoT” has an assured high biomass content of 30 % or more, meaning the Biomass Mark would be applicable if the products using it were shopping bags or cutlery. In addition to its high biomass content, impedance control is achieved from a lower dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent as well as minimized transmission losses compared to conventional products. We have already prototyped the connectors, and have verified that these eco-friendly connectors are able to reproduce comparable transmission characteristics to conventional products.
We will certainly use this Customized “XecoT” in new products, and further, we will also prepare for the future needs and requests from our customers for more eco-friendly selection of Hosiden products. As an electronic component manufacturer, we will seriously commit to the sustainable development goals, offering our new “eco-friendly” product portfolio to customers along with other options as performance, quality and cost.
